


Marbles

by Quyinn



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield Bonding, Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield Have a Good Relationship, Fluff, Gay Disaster Billy Hargrove, M/M, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27844828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quyinn/pseuds/Quyinn
Summary: Billy would smile, lazy lipped and white teeth and soft eyes and in those moments Max couldn't imagine life without him.rated t&up for drug use :)
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 8
Kudos: 93





	Marbles

**Author's Note:**

> this is in no way a guide to how the mentioned drugs make you act, im just writing and using my personal experiences :)))  
> -inspo from marbles by the amazing devil

It's not new that Billy does drugs. 

In fact, Max _likes_ him when he's high.

When he's smoking weed, all loose-limbed and soft. He taught her how to down pints once when he had real bad cotton-mouth and drank about six glasses and then groaned for four hours with a bloated belly. 

Billy listens to music like it flows through his body, limbs held up with guitar string, skin stretched out like a drum. Billy would hold her hands and dance. 

Yeah, okay, he can't dance for shit but neither can she and that couldn't have been more okay. They would wriggle and spin in the space between their joined fingers. Billy would _smile,_ lazy lipped and white teeth and soft eyes and in those moments Max couldn't imagine life without him. 

When he's taken LSD, jaw working a mile a minute, laid out on his back, yammering away about one thing or another, hands splayed in front of him. Max would sit cross-legged by his side as he would fling himself across the room, full of motive, face cracked in a grin. 

He's funny when he's high. Spilling dirty jokes, knock-knock's, _that's what she said_ 's, like they're going out of fashion. Billy's laugh is infectious- not his forced huffy chuckle thing, but a proper laugh- at his own jokes, at the scrunch of Max's nose when they're listening to _The Cure_ and Billy licks over his teeth, saying something about how he wants to make a boy cry.

The radio would crackle and spit out the overplayed 70s songs that Max didn't know the words to. Billy would saunter around their shitty flat when Neil wasn't home with swaying hips, in tanktops and Max would pretend she couldn't see the bruises or hickeys over his skin. 

Even on the nights he did Gods knows what, staggering home and throwing up in the racket of their creaky shower. The water always smelt metallic, covering the stomach bile and silent, shaking sobs. Max would kneel beside him, patting the soaked denim jacket over his back. 

His head would rest on her shoulder, hands fisting in her pyjama top and they would just _be._ Billy would whisper about the money he has saved, how they could escape. Max didn't understand what he meant at the time, but her throat closes at the memory of Billy's cracking voice.

The next morning Billy would twist his fingers through her hair and leave neat braids in their wake. He wouldn't say 'thank you' or anything so ridiculous for picking up his marbles, but Max's lunch would be already made in the fridge.

It was different when they moved to Hawkins. 

Billy couldn't get a hold of much, but his eyes would always be that little more blown, slightly red rimmed. 

On the days where Neil was working late, Billy would crank his music up in his room and dance, arms above his head as his curls covered his face. Max watched from the crack in the door, wishing she had the guts to join him. 

She couldn't, her throat closing whenever she remembers the way Billy's eyes darkened. When she said _"I don't know where he was,"_ with Neil's cheap, beer breath too close to her face. The utter betrayal in the clench of Billy's jaw. 

He must be on acid or something tonight, her mom and Neil have gone to Fort Wayne for the weekend. Just before she leaves to head to Mike's house, Billy's music starts up. 

He wanders through the halls in basketball shorts, bruises littering his back and smiles softly, lazily, hands slowly stretching out to catch hold of Max's fingers. Their palms don't fit together, but she holds his hand anyway. 

The music at Billy's back is softer than what his speakers usually spit out.

"I'm sorry." Max's voice shakes a little when their faces were briefly close, Billy's eyes shut, his head bobbing to the music. 

Billy's fresh from the shower. He's used Max's aloe conditioner, still minty and damp. He doesn't smell like cigarette smoke or alcohol. 

"So?" He breathes back, spinning her under one of his lax arms before dipping her, fiery hair brushing the floor. 

"Will you ever forgive me?" 

"If that'll make you feel better. I forgave you months ago, Red." Billy laughs a little, bending at the knee and doing some weird wriggle that has Max snorting despite herself. 

"I- I really miss having a brother." She says to the music floating through the air, just as she gets to the front door. 

Billy winks at her, hair sticking to his forehead. His tongue curls around his teeth and then his attention is snapped away from her, song changing. Billy bounces on the balls of his feet, singing in a key far too high for his voice. 

Max likes him like this. His shoulders relax, tension nowhere to be found in the bowstring pull of his body. He dances around the room, waving his arms carefully in the air as if he can see the melody to whatever candy rock song that barely sees the light of day. 

Max practically bumps into Steve when she opens the door, blinking in surprise. He's holding a six pack of beer and his mouth falls open. 

"Aren't you going to be late to the Party?" Max rolls her eyes, grabbing her board from by the door. 

"Enjoy your date." She says. 

She doesn't know if it's actually a date or not but Steve's cheeks flush the colour of his sweater. "Bye, Billy!" Max calls through, zipping her hoodie up. 

"Take care, Shitbird. Oh!" Max glances behind her. She can see Steve's amused grin as Billy crosses the room. For a moment, Max thinks he was going to take Steve in his arms like he does her, but all he does is grab his wrist and does that weird body wriggle thing. 

Steve barks out a laugh as the door closes. She hears a _"What are you on?"_ and _"God, you're something else."_

Shaking her head, she decides that's a conversation for another day. 

Billy laughs, something deep and real from inside the house, and Max chuckles the same time Steve does. She's still giggling half-way to Mike's.

\-----

_I've held your hand since 1979..._

_And I chipped my teeth on every joke you cracked._

**Author's Note:**

> uh dont do drugs stay in school and drink your milk, kids
> 
> just a procrastinating drabble i wrote while putting off my msin harringrove fic :) if u want to chat about prompts or anything my tumblr is @bloodyjacksparrow 
> 
> as always lemme know what u think or if i made a mistake or somethin thank u v much for reading


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